Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-01

lev. The date has its copgenial home in
tropic atmospheres. Ii was grown in India
before America was known. II Hourished
in Persia from remotest antiquity. Along
the Nile and the Euphrates it was the food
yielding tree in periods of the most distant
past. Herodotus, Strabo and Pliny wrote
of It, The Moors introduced it into Spain
in the eighth century, the Mission Fathers
OF the Jesuit brotherhood put its seed into
California soil before the American occupa-
ton was born of American progressive
ness. 1t was planted thereafter in the
south, in some of the coast counties, and
here and there as an ornamental tree. 1t
was in 1857 that J. r. Wolfskill put in
abe seed in the warm soil OF the Sacramento
valley, where there is the
MINIMUM OF HUMIDITY
In the atmosphere, and the dryness, warmth
and evenness of temperature IN the air, so
necessary 20 the date as fruit-besrer.
Originally there were at the Wolfskills' two
rows of the trees, but they were too
crowded and some must needs be cut out,
and it was done. The date is supposed to
come to fruiting age in fifteen years. The
Wolfskills put in theirs in 1857, which
should have brought them to fruit in 1872,
bat, In fact, the first fruit did not fruit
until 1878, and did not bear perfect fruit
fact that up to 1872 no care was taken of
them. no cultivation about them attempted.
s. c. Wolfskill informs Us that the cause of
the non-ripening of the olive white va
riety, is due to the season being too short
in California, Notwithstanding that our
warm season extends over two-thirds of
the year.
THE DATE PALM
Trees referred TO are large and very hand
some trees with some ten feet of trunk
feather-leayed, and with plumes waving
some fifteen or sixteen feet aloft. The
mean diameter of the trunks is about 20
inches. The stalks that hold the fruit
stems put forth at the hight of the face.
Each berry, when il fills to pluInpness, is
covered with delicate bloom like that of
the plum, and in their bright red they pro-
duce g charming effect.
WHAT We LEARN
From the WolfskiH dates is the fact that
the Sacramento valley is admirably adapted
to their growth, that with cultivation
and the introduction of the best varieties
we have perfect proof they can be grown
here to profit, since they are hardy tree
to endure frost and storms, and once rooted
well, and cared tor reasonably last for
ages. No one knows, so far as we can learn
Of their being subject 10 any pests liable to
assault fruit, nor do the works on the sub
iect of the date and its uses speak of any
such obstacle. The Wolfskill date trees
were the first to give US the perfect Egyp-
tan or Persian fruit: but other persons
have had the fruit of the red China date
grown to perfection here. Thus, J. "
Smyth, of Newcastle. Placer county, at the
first Citrus Fair held in Sacramento
showed fine examples of the Hong Choley
(red China date grown by him. While it
takes many ears to bring the seeding date
to fruit bearing, we may expect the rising
generation in California to literally reyel in
HOMEGROWN DATES.
But the sucker taken from a parent
tree will bring fruit in FIVE years, and thus
their cultivation IS desirable. Date palm
planting is now going on on all sides, and
in q few years there will be vast number
growing finely in the valley. Long before the
tree bears it grows TO ornamental hight,
and is a most beautiful tree for lawn adorn-
ment 1t needs plenty Of water, but is not
particular as to soil. It is climate lover,
and will put up with comparatively poor
soil, but it appreciates cultivation of the
soil about its trunk
ONE OF THE woLFsKILL TREES
Is very much larger than the other NEARLY
twice the hight; this is the staminate
growth, and il is that which has failed TO
ripen its fruit The trunk of the date palm
is rough and spiny the flower shattras
arise between the junction Of the leaves
and the trunk, are woody and have
branched spadices. On q single gpadix Is
many IS 10000 flowers have been counted.